Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Usage of E-Payment Systems: An Investigation of User Perspectives

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic was a global challenge with a significant rate of prevalence. It exerted devastating consequences in epidemic, economic, and social terms. The crisis is changed the way people lived, worked, consumed, and payed their bills. These changes still persist. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak as an intervening element on the acceptance of branch-less banking and e-payment systems. The study evaluated factors including perceived benefits, performance and effort expectancy, social influence, perceived security, and trust. Using a quantitative survey research design, data was collected from 302 e-payment users in Kitwe, Zambia. The findings indicate that during the COVID-19 pandemic, users’ adoption intentions of e-payments are significantly facilitated by performance expectations, perceived advantages, social influence, trust, and security. The contact-less nature of E-payment systems is especially advantageous in preserving social distance and ensuring personal safety during a pandemic